9 Traditional Design Ideas for Your Garden
If modern landscapes leave you cold, here are ways to weave in classic character
Kate Burt
June 7, 2018
Houzz UK. I'm a journalist and editor, previously for the Independent, Guardian and various magazines. I'm now excited to part of the editorial team at Houzz UK & Ireland, bringing the best of British and Irish design, interiors and architecture to Houzz.com.
Houzz UK. I'm a journalist and editor, previously for the Independent, Guardian and... More
We see a lot of incredible contemporary garden designs on Houzz, and they get a lot of love. But if you live in an old house, or you would like the style of your indoor antiques to extend outside, or you simply don’t want to create clean lines or add geometric tiles or structural planting, these nine ideas may float your boat.
1. Savor the shade. This walled London townhouse garden, which features a pond and a bridge, shows that you don’t need a large — or south-facing — country lot to pull off supersize outdoor ideas. The early Georgian house, built in 1720, used to be a factory, and what is now the garden was once the factory floor. Its high brick walls define the space and give it plenty of character.
Although you may not have aged bricks or steel joists like these, you can still borrow ideas from this shaded, characterful space.
Although you may not have aged bricks or steel joists like these, you can still borrow ideas from this shaded, characterful space.
If you have any features with an aged patina, put them on display; failing that, find some. You could try preloved terra-cotta pots, aged metal containers (rust spots only add to the interest ) and salvage yard treasures, such as a statue, vintage birdbath or water feature, as shown here. Covered in moss? All the better.
Add deep green, shade-tolerant climbers to conjure up a comparable secret garden feel (and to embrace the compromised sunlight), and opt for gravel over slick modern paving.
Add deep green, shade-tolerant climbers to conjure up a comparable secret garden feel (and to embrace the compromised sunlight), and opt for gravel over slick modern paving.
2. Put together a trio. Three key elements define the mood of this little rooftop space. First, the checkerboard floor has clear Victorian connotations; it’s a larger take on the classic front garden path that still exists in many houses of that era. Second, the delicate cast-iron furniture is a far cry from boxy, water-resistant rattan or colorful molded plastic. (If you were going for wood, consider it for antique-looking benches, rather than table and chair sets, for a period-sensitive effect.) Third, traditional-style brass outdoor lighting completes the mood.
You may have three other elements in mind — perhaps Victorian-style French windows, a pretty antique-looking greenhouse and an interesting old urn you could turn into a water feature or planter. Keep everything else natural and, again, go for lots of dark leafy plants, rather than structural foliage, for an old-world feel.
You may have three other elements in mind — perhaps Victorian-style French windows, a pretty antique-looking greenhouse and an interesting old urn you could turn into a water feature or planter. Keep everything else natural and, again, go for lots of dark leafy plants, rather than structural foliage, for an old-world feel.
3. Seek out secondhand pieces. Noncontemporary doesn’t have to mean antique or Victorian, of course. Simply choosing items that are secondhand or salvaged, as opposed to crisp and sleek, adds character and a sense of history to an outdoor space.
Bierkeller, or beer cellar, tables are sought-after finds in Europe. The tables and matching benches found in Germany’s beer halls and underground pubs typically have green metal folding legs and, as shown in the photo, make a striking centerpiece in a garden dining spot. But a vintage picnic table would do the trick too.
Bierkeller, or beer cellar, tables are sought-after finds in Europe. The tables and matching benches found in Germany’s beer halls and underground pubs typically have green metal folding legs and, as shown in the photo, make a striking centerpiece in a garden dining spot. But a vintage picnic table would do the trick too.
4. Celebrate used brick. A mainstay in many contemporary gardens — and for a reason, as it can look lovely — is the plaster-coated wall. Imagine this brickwork smooth and painted bright white: You would have a sharp-looking modern patio. But if you prefer a relaxed style and a sense of your garden’s past, keep those brick walls as they are. Don’t try to get them to match — the different finishes and varied bricks boost character.
Mismatched pillows, vintage fabrics and salvaged furniture are good companions.
Mismatched pillows, vintage fabrics and salvaged furniture are good companions.
5. Go round. Angles and clean edges, perhaps with brushed steel and glass in the mix, are the terrain of the contemporary garden. And that’s why circular designs and features can do a good job of making an outdoor space feel less modern. It’s not just the flower beds that curve here — there are spherical topiaries, ball-shaped hydrangeas, concentric rows of brick and rounded furniture pieces.
Adding curves to a lawn and cutting into or building out from rectangular beds are less expensive ways to introduce this idea to a garden when a full redesign isn’t in the cards.
Adding curves to a lawn and cutting into or building out from rectangular beds are less expensive ways to introduce this idea to a garden when a full redesign isn’t in the cards.
6. Don’t forget a bench and climber. Something as standard as a good, solid, old-fashioned garden bench can go a long way. Forget built-in seating or stucco planters with hardwood slats for perching. They are things of beauty, but for classic styling, a bench next to a climbing vine or two is your answer.
To really amp up the romance, fix a rose arch above the bench to frame your seat with some of the most traditional of all scented blooms.
Check out this year’s new roses
To really amp up the romance, fix a rose arch above the bench to frame your seat with some of the most traditional of all scented blooms.
Check out this year’s new roses
7. Follow the brick road. Brick or cobblestone paths are a classic piece of garden design. Mix them with rope-top lawn or flower bed edging, wrought-iron furniture and soft cottage-garden planting.
Get a guide to the most popular paving materials
Get a guide to the most popular paving materials
8. Install a trellis. There’s a huge variety of decorative trellis paneling that will complement an older home or garden. Buy it in ready-made pieces or have it custom-made. This is different from the softwood stuff you will get at garden centers and DIY stores for attaching to the top of your fence for climbers. It’s far sturdier and comes with all sorts of interesting detailing.
Painted trellis like this is especially suitable. Keep colors muted and classic — cream, pale gray or sage green are good options. Steer clear of trendy contemporary hues like deep grays, blacks and vibrant shades.
Painted trellis like this is especially suitable. Keep colors muted and classic — cream, pale gray or sage green are good options. Steer clear of trendy contemporary hues like deep grays, blacks and vibrant shades.
9. Show off a garden gate. If you’re lucky enough to have an original specimen like this, let it shine. Trim back those creepers, give it a good scrub and treat it with a wood protector (choose a clear finish and test it in an inconspicuous spot so you don’t accidentally make it look orangy and new).
If you don’t have such a gate hanging around already, or even a suitable opening to affix one to, perhaps you could find a lovely weathered version and prop it decoratively against a prominent wall. Surround it with plants to soften its edges and help it blend in.
Tell us: What’s your garden’s style? Which of these ideas would you borrow? Let us know in the Comments.
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If you don’t have such a gate hanging around already, or even a suitable opening to affix one to, perhaps you could find a lovely weathered version and prop it decoratively against a prominent wall. Surround it with plants to soften its edges and help it blend in.
Tell us: What’s your garden’s style? Which of these ideas would you borrow? Let us know in the Comments.
More
Read more about traditional landscapes
Find a garden designer in your area
Browse lawn and garden products
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I like a lot of these ideas. I love lattices whether or not vines are covering them. I have also used canvas awning material in a terra cotta shade to make standing panels where a fence was impractical or ugly. For running water I have a small swimming pool with a small waterfall. Since it is a salt pool I also set out birdbaths very close by. The birds do not attempt to drink the saltwater but it is only mildly salty and they will often bathe on the lip of the gentle waterfall. I have surrounded the pool with a fence that I painted sage green. People objected initially but now admit that it is soothing and pleasant. I do have small trees also on the street and driveway side. They are flowering trees-crepe myrtles, redbuds, and Vitex or Texas lilac and crabapples. They bloom at different times and are interspersed so from May to Sept. there is something blooming around the pool. Bees are very attracted but not aggressive and one hummingbird visits every year. I have also planted salvias and morning glories in pots around the pool . But so far as I can tell the hummingbird wants the easy breakfast and dinner at the neighbors' feeders and only comes to my house in a pinch ! I do think that Europeans are more likely to build or have lovely stone walls. If there is a fence there are attempts to have it be pretty. In America we pay a lot for a very ugly " privacy " fence of very rough wood in an unattractive color. If you want something prettier it will cost a great deal and you have to be insistent. It is nice to read articles about how to give your garden a good framework.
Sounds interesting HU....any pictures?
When I commented on this post last year and said I had planted peonies....well....I have a few flowers now. I was so happy when I saw the buds and now.....just enough to put in a vase
Showing off a newer garden gate. I had canvas panels put on it for privacy from the street .